The smell of this canned wolffish is truly pungent... not only stinky, but disgusting... it's practically biological poison gas! Klein crouched in the corner, taking more than ten seconds to recover.
In that instant, he underestimated the smell of the wolffish canned food and failed to take the most effective action in time. He did not use a " Paper Figurine Substitute " or create an invisible air tube to pretend that he was Underwater Breathing.
Now, he finally understands how wise his decision was not to open a can of wolffish in public!
Whew... Klein let out a breath, slowly stood up, picked up his luggage, and walked step by step towards the outside of the dock.
His first impression of the city of Nass was that most of the houses were white and made of stone. Secondly, although it wasn't located too far north, the temperature was quite cold; even in April, it was still only a few degrees Celsius. Thirdly, there were many whaling houses where enormous beluga whales were dismembered into skin, meat, blubber, bones, and "grey amber."
The latter two are either used as petticoats for banquet gowns or as top-quality spices, which, whether used as incense or added to perfumes, are luxuries enjoyed only by nobles and the wealthy.
As for the beluga whale's skin, meat, and blubber, they also have their uses: they can be used to make clothing, as food, and to extract oils. In Nass and the Gargas Archipelago, beluga whale cooking has developed into a unique culture, with a variety of techniques and renowned restaurants.
Klein passed by whaling houses and saw the large amounts of blubber that had been stripped off being loaded onto wagons and driven toward a factory belching black smoke not far away. It was a very Gargas-style oil refinery where the blubber of beluga whales would be refined into whale oil, bottled and barreled, and used as excellent fuel and the lifeblood of certain industries.
Very unique... Klein exhaled white breath and stood watching for a while.
As he left the port and entered the city, a cacophony of Feysac speech reached his ears.
Klein was familiar with the language of the northern Barbarian, was fluent in the ancient Ancient Feysac, the source of the language of the Northern Continent. He turned his head at the sound and looked over, and saw a group of tall people with blond hair holding banners and marching in the street.
The banner at the very front clearly stated their demands in their protest:
"Oppose the overhunting of beluga whales; we need sustainable development!"
Pfft... Klein almost lost his composure, then immediately believed that the concept of "sustainable development" was 99% "invented" by Emperor Roselle.
His gaze shifted to the banners behind him, and the purpose of the march became even clearer:
Whaling is for survival, not for pleasure!
Humans are no more noble than beluga whales!
" The Greed Devil, leave Nass!"
At this moment, police officers in gray uniforms, armed with shields, forks, and batons, blocked the march.
After a brief argument, the situation quickly escalated.
Many young people in the march threw open cans of wolffish and lit bottles of liquor stuffed with cloth. The police, no longer restrained, pushed back and used shields and batons to beat them.
Klein pinched his nose, looked at the firelight burning in the street, and found that many pedestrians seemed oblivious to it. Apart from a few onlookers, the rest were continuing on their way to their destinations as usual.
It seems this happens frequently in Nass... Have the demonstrations all turned into conflicts? No wonder it's the Feynapotter Empire... Klein muttered a couple of times, walked around the street, and randomly found a hotel to stay in.
He still registered under the name Gehrman Sparrow, and was not worried at all that the information spread by " Vice Admiral Ailment " Tracy would make the Church of the Evernight Goddess treat him as a " Faceless," because he had no intention of going to the whaling route to look for those mermaids who had become believers of the goddess, and planned to go straight to the dangerous area at the easternmost part of the Sonia Sea.
As for safety in the Gargas Archipelago, he had no need to worry. It was a colony of the Feynapotter Empire, and the only legitimate religious organization there was the Church of the God of Combat, who were extremely hostile to the Church of the Evernight Goddess.
Klein was initially worried that he would encounter a lot of " Faceless " here, the kind you might run into seven or eight while enjoying a whale meal next door. However, after careful consideration, he rationally ruled out that possibility.
Firstly, it's because Beyonder via the " Seer " pathway are rare; Klein has only encountered three beyond Sequence 8 so far. Secondly, Sequence 6 Beyonder aren't commonplace; even in this pirate paradise, those with a bounty of 5,000 pounds are rare. Thirdly, the " Faceless," once prepared, will board whaling ships to search for mermaids, either to begin worshipping goddesses, sink to the bottom of the sea or become researchers, or possess extremely high intelligence, seize opportunities, successfully advance, and leave safely, rarely staying in the Gargas Archipelago for too long.
In the entire Nass, besides me, there are no more than two " Faceless "... Klein tidied his clothes, not in a hurry to contact " Admiral of Stars " Cattleya, and in a good mood went out to the street to look for food based on what he had heard on his journey.
Raw beluga whale slices, fried whale fillets, whale oil with skin, grilled whale meat... Klein, like a true traveler, tried different foods at three different restaurants.
Not bad, quite unique. The fishy smell isn't too strong; in fact, it's quite appetizing and tempting... burp... Klein covered his mouth and went out onto the street. He found that the streetlights were sparse, but the lights inside the houses on both sides were bright, which alleviated the darkness of the night to some extent.
A cold wind swept across the ocean, causing Klein to raise his collar, revealing the deep blue cuffstone, its luster fading as it was set deeply into his wrist.
Compared to a ring, a cufflink was more in line with Gehrman Sparrow's character, so Klein didn't blame the " Artisan " for changing the requirements without authorization.
The harmonica that solidified the ritual for summoning Spirit World perfectly matched Klein's intentions. It could be used for a year and a half, and was entirely silver-white, exquisite and beautiful.
When Klein received the harmonica, he imagined this scene: a mad and powerful adventurer, in the quiet night, under the deep moonlight, leaning against the edge of the ship's railing, playing a sad melody on his harmonica.
Unfortunately, this harmonica couldn't produce any sound; it could only be used to summon Reinette Tinekerr.
Klein shook his head almost imperceptibly, then walked steadily down the empty, cold streets of Nass, back to the hotel.
After adjusting his condition with sleep, he arrived at Ambergris Street the next morning and entered a general store called " Fanatical Whale Dance ".
Klein glanced at the gray-haired shopkeeper, who was a head taller than him, tapped the counter lightly with his finger, and said in Feysac:
"Buy whale oil."
The boss's face was crisscrossed with wrinkles, but he was only wearing a coat made of beluga whale skin, the light-colored pattern of which had a strange beauty.
"How much?" The boss was taking big gulps of strong liquor, ignoring the messy arrangement of the goods.
"One and a quarter barrels," Klein replied, following the agreed-upon code.
The boss slowed his drinking motions and slammed the brownish-green bottle onto the counter.
"Want a taste? The purest Nipos, the mistress of all Feysac men!"
This is a distilled spirit produced in Feysac, made from potatoes or grains. It is known for its high alcohol content and Blazing. Compared to Sonia Blood Wine, it is much cheaper and more popular among ordinary Feysac people.
"No need." Klein shook his head.
The boss chuckled softly:
What kind of man doesn't drink Nipos?
"Are there only ladies left in Loen?"
He gulped down another mouthful and said:
Who recommended you?
"Ms. Geltmus," Klein uttered a name that was a mix of styles.
The boss suddenly exhaled, and a strong smell of alcohol immediately filled the air.
He swayed as he got up, like a White Bear performing in a circus.
After giving instructions to the shop assistant, he led Klein to a small room on the second floor of the back warehouse.
"Let me look, let me look..." the shopkeeper muttered as he squatted down.
Klein controlled the twitching of his face, recalling a widely circulated joke in the Kingdom of Loen:
Q: When is a man in Feysac not drunk? A: When he's in his mother's womb.
After waiting for a while, Klein saw the boss pull out a pure crystal ball.
Then, the drunken " White Bear " turned his back to Klein, rubbed the crystal ball with both hands, and whispered in the difficult and obscure Ancient Hermes.
The room gradually darkened, and all the dark corners became deep and mysterious, seemingly radiating a strange attraction.
The crystal ball lit up quickly, revealing the figure of a woman in a black classical robe.
She had an oval face, fair skin, and deep, slightly purplish-black eyes that exuded mystery.
He saw the real face of another member of the Tarot Club... Klein stepped forward and took the crystal ball.
The " The Hermit " Cattleya, on the other side of the crystal ball, also saw this "world" clearly: black hair, brown eyes, a thin face, and sharp features.
Her gaze sharpened slightly, and she hesitated for a second before opening her mouth to speak:
" Gehrman Sparrow?"
She discovered that the true strength and skill level of the Tarot Club members were far greater than she had imagined: "The World" was actually Gehrman Sparrow, a mad Hunter of pirate general caliber!
My previous judgments about "the world" were correct... reserved, profound, experienced, and ruthless... " Admiral of Stars " felt that he was not too surprised.
"Yes, Ms. Cattleya." Klein gestured for his boss to leave the room.
Once it became extremely quiet here, " Admiral of Stars " Cattleya spoke again:
"I'm curious, how did you recognize me? I was being very careful when I attended the party."
At the time, the "world" who requested a private conversation started by addressing her as " Admiral of Stars," which really startled her.
It was also based on this factor that she chose to accept "The World's" commission.
"It's a secret." Klein smiled politely.
Because he didn't want the other person to associate him with "Mr. The Fool," he added casually:
Your eyes are very distinctive.
"Can I take this as a compliment?" Cattleya asked with a slight smile, as if suddenly realizing something.
She believed that the previous "world" only suspected that she was the " Admiral of Stars " based on details such as her eyes, but was not certain. So she tested him with language, and her own reaction told him the correct answer.
Klein didn't respond further, but instead asked:
When do we leave?